Holistic Healing and Accountability: Indigenous Restorative Justice

Source: (2002) Child Care In Practice. 8(2): 133-136.

Writing from an Aboriginal perspective in Canada, Cyndy Baskin draws certain fundamental contrasts between Western-European and Aboriginal approaches to understanding and dealing with wrongdoing. For example, a Western-European approach, as seen in the dominant society and its criminal justice system in Canada, focuses on the offender and his or her individual responsibility for wrongdoing, and emphasizes punishment of the offender as the most appropriate response. An Aboriginal approach emphasizes a collective responsibility for dealing with wrongdoing and seeks healing to restore peace and balance among the community, offender, and victim. In this framework, Baskin discusses her work with Aboriginal sexual offenders using culture-based restorative justice aims and processes, such as circles.